2015-05-18 · Dublin
Banned driver whose dangerous driving caused death of back seat passenger is jailed for 8.5 years
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Eric Wansboro, 27, was sentenced to eight and a half years in jail for dangerous driving that caused the death of 43‑year‑old Sinead Maguire and serious bodily harm to Liam McDonagh. Wansboro pleaded guilty to the offence committed on 29 May 2014 when he was driving a Toyota Avensis at high speed, pursued by a Garda patrol. The collision, which occurred at a junction with a 50 kph limit, left the car heavily damaged and all occupants unconscious. Maguire died from severe neck and spinal injuries; McDonagh suffered a fractured jaw and lost five teeth. Wansboro had a suspended three‑year sentence for a 2011 stolen‑car offence and a ten‑year driving disqualification. The judge imposed a five‑and‑a‑half‑year term for the dangerous driving, back‑dated to the date he entered custody, and added the suspended sentence, bringing the total to eight and a half years.